Device for uniting celluloid to photographic prints.



No. 657,749. Patented Sept. ll, I900.

E. W. SILSBY. I DEVICE FOR UNITING CELLULOID T0 PHOTD-GRAPHICPRINTS.

(Application filed Dec. 6, 1899.) (N 0 M o d e l TN! Noam: PETERS on."trauma" wAsr-uumou, o. c

UNiED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE W. SILSBY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR UNITING CELLULOID TO PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,749, datedSeptember 1 1, 1900.

Application filed December 6,1899i Serial No. 739,193. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern Be it known that I, EUGENE W. SILsBY, acitizen of the United States, residing at N o. 403 Division street,Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Devices for Uniting Celluloid or SimilarFacings to Photographic or other Prints, which are fully set forth inthe following specification, reference being had toaccompanying.drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus foruniting to a transparent sheet of celluloid orlike material aphotographic print or other paper or film which is t to be covered uponits printed or ornamented surface by the transparent sheet of celluloid,that pupose requiring that the two elements be permanently cemented orcaused to adhere without either element becoming wrinkled or otherwisedefaced. Itis known that cellu loid and like material may be caused toadhere to paper, such as a photographic print, by being slightlymoistened with alcohol, which dissolves the celluloid to a slightextent, sufficient to cause it to adhere to the paper, the applicationof a moderate amount of heat to dissipate the alcohol causing the dryingand hardening of the celluloid and rendering the adhesion permanent. Themost satisfactory method of moistening the celluloid with sufficientuniformity is found to be to saturate the paper with alcohol and applyit in this moist condition to the face of the celluloid; but adifilculty is experienced in drying the elements to perfect the unionand render it permanent without wrinkling or drawing the paperunequally. One method which has been attempted consists in passing thetwo elements when applied to each other, the paper having been moistenedwith alcohol, as described, between two rollers, one of which is heatedsufficiently to dissipate the alcohol and dry the celluloid and paper.This method is found unsatisfactory because one element or the other isliable to slip in passing through the rollers, probably on account ofthe unequal grasp of the rollers upon the two surfaces of differentcharacter. At all events the result is almost invariably to wrinkle ortear one element or the other. The result can be accomplished bypressing the two elements when assembled ready for the drying processbetween two opposite dies, one or .both of which is heated, such diescovering the entire surface of both elements. This method requires verygreat pressure because the entire surface is exposed to the pressure atone time. It is difficult to make it successful, furthermore, becauseofthe necessity of perfectly-plane surfaces and perfect parallelismbetween the two surfaces of the two dies, and because, furthermore, evenwhen parallel surfaces are obtained a slight inequality in the thicknessof the paper or celluloid at different points will prevent adhesion atthe thinner places, or, if the pressure is sufficient, will produceperfect adhesion at such points only by stretching or spreading thethicker-parts, with the result, usually, of marring the ornamentation.My improved apparatus overcomes all these difficulties and affords meansfor easily and reliably effecting the purpose without marring either ofthe elements united. My method consists in the employment of a flattablet or platen to support the two elements, and a roller which may berolled by hand with such pressure as can easily be applied by theoperator upon the handles with which the roller is provided at theopposite ends, such roller being heated by gas conducted into'it throughthe gas-pipe axle upon which the handles are mounted and to which aflexible pipe is con nected at one end for affording gas-supply.

Specifically, my invention consists in a particular form of rollercomprising a shell of thin steel tubing and cast-iron heads in which theaxle is journaled. The thin tubing I find it necessary to employ for theoperatingsurface of the roller because, although a hollow cast-ironroller may be made, the liability to slight defects in the casting andthe amount of heat necessary to heat through a shell of the thicknesswhich is necessary when it is made of cast-iron makes that mode ofconstruction unsatisfactory and hazardous. The employment of the thinshell of tubing, however,creates the necessity for a shield between thegas-jets and the tubing, since otherwise the roller at rest would beliable to be heated to a dangerous temperature at a line immediatelyabove the jets, while it might not be hot enough at the opposite side,and in this specific form of my invention, therefore, a shield toovercome this difficulty is an important feature.

In thedrawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my apparatus in aposition of use, showing two sheets assembled on the platen under theroller and ready to be united by the device. Fig. 2 is a section axialwith respect to the roller through the same and the tablet and thesheets thereon. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the roll r.

A is a firm rigid base or platen of material which has been machined togive it a true level upper surface. The roller which operates upon thisplaten comprises a thin metal shell B, preferably made of steel tubing,and heavy or weighted cast-iron caps or heads B B, secured to andretained in conjunction with the shell B in any similar manner. Asillustrated, I make the heads or caps B with a rabbet B about theperiphery at the inner face, the longitudinal face of the rahbet beingsloping, so as to make a tapering seat onto which the steel-tubing shellB is drawn and with which, therefore, it makes a tight junction by meansof the longitudinal binding rods or bolts B B which extendlongitudinally through the roller through the shell, penetrating boththe heads B B and provided exteriorly with nuts B B which are lodged inrecesses B B formed in the outer face of each head B.

O is the axle, which consists of a piece of gas-pipe extending throughthe heads B B at the center of the latter, which are thus journaled onthe axle.

D D are handles on the axle outside the heads B B, respectively. Theyare retained by a cap 0 at one end and a suitable fitting, as an elbow Gat the other end. To the el bow (3 there is connected a-short pipeterminating in the mixer 0 into which there is connected a nipple 0 towhich aflexible pipe 0 is attached, leading from any source ofgas-supply.

Within the shell B the axle O has gas-orifices c o, 850., dischargingupward, and on the axle there is mounted a shield or spreader for thegas-flame, which prevents the over heating of the shell immediatelyabove the flame and causes a substantially-equal distribution of theheat throughout the entire circumference of the shell even when theroller is at rest, the distribution being rendered even more perfect bythe rotation of the roller in use. This shield or spreader is a hollowor double-walled segment of a cylinder occupying aboutone hundred andtwenty degrees of the shell, within the latter and supported so as to beretained at the upper partthat is, above the axle Cso as to overhangIhave made it and it is illustrated as consisting of two curved plates EE, one within or under the other, supported by arms E E extending upfrom the pipe 0. The space between the two pipes is sufficient,

even though it be very slight, to prevent the heating of the outer orupper plate to any extent sufiicient to overheat the portion of theshell opposite or outside of it, and the shield therefore operates aspractically a perfect distributer of the hot products of combustion fromthe gas-jets, causing them to-be thrown around the entire circumferenceof the shell, heating it at. all parts, asufficient portion returningand passing outside the outer plate E, between the same and the portionof the shell overhanging it, so that that portion is heated, as well asthe remainder. In practice the onlyunaterial difference of temperatureobservable at different parts of the circumference is that the shell isnot quite so highly heated directly above or opposite the deflector asit is at the remainder of the circumferential extent; but in use, sincethe lower and not the upper side of the roller operates upon the partsto be united lyingon the platen, this difference is unimportant and ispractically overcome by the time the roller has made the half-rotationnecessary to bring the upper part to the lower side.

For the purpose of permitting the escape of the products of combustion,as well as fur nishing air to support the combustion in addition to thatwhich enters through the mixer, the heads B B have apertures at fourpoints,

'so that there shall always be at least one g aperture at or nearthelower sideand another @at or near the upper side to insure proper 3circulation. tion are situated about the apertures through Two of thesepoints of ventilawhich the binding-rods penetrate the plates, the bottomof the recesses B having, in addition to the central aperture throughwhich the binding-rod extends, sectoral apertures 19 17 &c. forventilation. The other two of the four ventilating-apertures mentionedare located at B B ninety degrees around from the recesses B B The heavyor weighted caps B B are designed to be adequate to atford substantiallyall the pressure necessary to perform the 1 work for which the implementis intended.

The handles D D, however, afford the operator an opportunity to add tothat pressure any amount requisite; but the uniformity of the pressureafforded by the weighted heads is of advantage in using the device, andit is preferable for most purposes to use the handles merely for thepurpose of guiding or communicating rolling motion to the roller and notfor pressure.

I claim- 1. A roller for the purpose indicated, comprising a metal shellor hollow cylinder, and ventilated metal heads or caps closing the endsof the cylinder; a tubular axle, connected at one end with a source ofgas, and having gas-discharge orifices within the cylinder; combinedwith a shield or deflector mounted within the shell and supported so asto be interposed between the same and the gas-orifices, to shield theshell from the direct action of the same and deflect the latter.

2. An implement for uniting celluloid or like facing to photographic orother prints or films, comprising a plain metal base or platen and ametal shell or hollow cylinder constructed to operate as a roller;ventilated heads or caps closing its ends; a tubular axle connected atone end with a sourceof gas, and having gas-orifices within thecylinder, and handles at the opposite ends, outside the cylinder; and ashield or deflector mounted on the axle within the shell, interposedbetween the latter and the gas-orifices to deflect the flame and shieldthe shell from the direct action thereof.

3. A roller for the purpose indicated comprising a thin metal shell orhollow cylinder, and ventilated metal heads or caps closing the ends ofthe cylinder; a tubular axle connected at one end with a source of gasand having gas-orifices within the cylinder, and a shield or deflector,comprising an upper and lower wall, and intervening air-space, mountedwithin the shell and supported so as to be interposed between the sameand the gas-orifices to shield the shell from the direct action of theflame and deflect the latter.

4. An implement for the purpose indicated comprising a plain metal baseor platen and a roller, comprising a thin metal shell or hollowcylinder, and heavy or weighted metal heads or caps closing the ends ofthe cylinder, and provided with ventilating-apertures, and a tubularaxle having a flexible connection at one end with a source of gas andhaving gas-orifices within the cylinder, and a shield or deflectormounted within the shell and held interposed between the same and thegas-orifices, said shield comprising an upheld non-rotating; and ashield or deflector mounted within the shell and held interposed betweenthe same and the gasorifices to shield the shellfrom the direct actionof the flame and to deflect the latter.

6. A roller for the purpose indicated, comprising a thin metal shell orhollow cylinder, and heavy or weighted and ventilated metal heads orcaps closing the ends of the cylinder, adapted to alford by their weightthe necessary pressure; a tubular axle having a flexible connection atone end with a source of gas, and having gas-orifices within thecylinder, and provided with suitable handles at opposite ends of thecylinder, whereby the cylinder may be rotated while the axle is heldnon-rotating, and a shield or deflector mounted Within the shell andinterposed between the same and the gas-orifices, such shield ordeflector comprising an upper and a lower plate, with an interveningair-space.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Chicago, Illinois,this 1st day of December, 1899.

E. W. SILSBY.

Witnesses:

CHAS. S. BURTON, EDWARD T. WVRAY.

